Awards News

Michelin Guide chooses Houston over Dallas for first big Texas reveal

Dining room at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas

Michelin Guide could have chosen the Mansion but no.

Photo courtesy of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

The countdown is on to find out which restaurants will be included in the first Texas edition of the Michelin Guide. An invite-only ceremony will be held in Houston on Monday, November 11 to reveal the selections.

First announced in July, Michelin’s guide to Texas will cover Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and each city’s suburbs. Texas Travel and local tourism boards in each city agreed to provide marketing support — $90,000 per year for the first three years in Houston alone — to bring the guide to Texas. The restaurant announcement follows a ceremony in September that revealed the American hotels to receive Michelin keys, including four in Dallas.

“We are delighted to be hosting the inaugural Michelin Guide Texas Ceremony in the vibrant city of Houston,” Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, said in a statement. “Houston is full of culinary innovation and world class hospitality, which goes hand in hand with our values at the Michelin Guide. Together with Houston First, as well as the support of Travel Texas, we look forward to an evening of celebration as we toast to the restaurants that our Inspectors have chosen to award in Texas.”

Michelin uses anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants on five criteria: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. Based on that, they may recognize restaurants with one of three designations:

Michelin stars, rated at one, two, or three for restaurants that offer exceptional experiences
Bib Gourmand, described as “restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices”
Green stars for “restaurants that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy”

In addition, Michelin may also issue a lesser “recommended” designation to restaurants that are good but don’t qualify for a star rating.

Although which restaurants will receive what designation will be a mystery until November, CultureMap has learned that the guide has been sending emails to establishments requesting information for its website. Rumors about which restaurants have (and have not) received an email have been quietly circulating among restaurant industry insiders for the last month or so. CultureMap shared some options for Houston restaurants that could receive stars here.

Regardless of how many restaurants receive stars, a sense of excitement has been building. Some believe the opportunity to earn a Michelin star will help draw more culinary talent to the state. Others look forward to seeing how Texas cities compare to Michelin markets around the world, a sentiment shared by Houston First president and CEO Michael Heckman.

“The Michelin Guide’s arrival in Texas presents us with a unique opportunity to show the world the extraordinary sophistication and complexity of our state’s culinary scene. And there’s no better place to launch the Michelin Guide Texas than right here in Houston, the nation’s most diverse city,” Heckman added.

“Over the last two decades, our city has emerged as a food mecca, fostering skilled hometown chefs and restaurateurs while simultaneously drawing exceptional talent from across the globe. Houston First is excited to partner with Michelin in hosting the inaugural Michelin Guide Texas ceremony and to learn alongside our partner cities which Texas restaurants have been selected.”

news-you-can-eat awards michelin michelin guide

This week in gluttony

Pork chops sizzle in 7 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

perrysteakhouse.com

The famous pork chop at Perry's Steakhouse & Grille.

Temperatures are still hot but the grand opening of a new Italian ice and frozen custard shop will help keep things cool this week. A pizza joint's 10th anniversary provides for pies at a price that's easy on the wallet, and there's also a steal of a deal on a legendary steakhouse pork chop come Thursday. Plan for a family-friendly brewery birthday party come Saturday.

Tuesday, August 25

Pie Tap 10th Anniversary
The Dallas pizza chain known for its multi-day fermented sourdough crust will celebrate 10 years in business with $10 pizzas at all seven DFW locations. Choose from options like hot pepperoni with jalapenos and hot honey; and mushroom with caramelized onion with fontina cheese and a farm egg. Guests will want to visit throughout the rest of August as well, as Pie Tap is also randomly picking up patron tabs as a “thank you” to the communities that have supported the brand over the past decade.

iichiko Shochu x Midnight Rambler
The subterranean speakeasy under The Joule will welcome guest bartender George Kailho of Tei-An for an educational happy hour celebrating 100 years of Japanese cocktail culture in conjunction with iichiko Shochu, a native spirit of Japan. A seminar for industry professionals starts at 4 pm followed by happy hour at 5 pm (open to the public, no reservation required) featuring three Japanese cocktails by Kailho: the Million Dollar, Bamboo, and Lemon Sour. The event will run until 7 pm.

Wednesday, August 26

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard Grand Opening
The world’s largest Italian ice concept will celebrate the opening of its new shop in Carrollton (4213 N. Josey Lane) with sweet giveaways. The first 50 guests will receive a Rita’s gift bag with merch, and in select bags, a golden ticket good for a week’s worth of Italian ice or frozen custard. The Pennsylvania-based brand opened a North Richland Hills location in July, and locations in Farmers Branch and Flower Mound will follow later this year. The grand opening will take place at 12 noon.

Thursday, August 27

National Pork Chop Day at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
Perry’s enormous pecan-wood roasted pork chop has anchored the steakhouse’s menu since its early beginnings in Houston. Now the restaurant will celebrate the signature dish (in conjunction with National Pork Chop Day) with a four-course dinner. Highlights from the prix-fixe menu include skewers of pork chop “bites,” white bean pork chili, Perry’s famous 18-ounce pork chop, and orange vanilla cream cheesecake. The dinner is $44 and is available after 4 pm by request. Perry’s has locations in Dallas, Frisco, and Grapevine.

A Lucky Pairing: Chef’s Dinner with Suerte Tequila at Ollie’s Azul House
Suerte means “luck” in Spanish, and Ollie’s Azul House in Rowlett will toast to buena suerte during this four-course tequila pairing dinner featuring four expressions of Suerte Tequila. The menu includes shrimp aguachile with blanco tequila, charred octopus with still strength tequila, duck breast with mole negro with reposado tequila, and olive oil cake with anejo tequila. The dinner is $55 and will run from 7-9 pm.

Saturday, August 29

Lakewood Brewing 14th Anniversary
The Garland brewery will mark 14 years with a day-long anniversary bash. The free-to-attend, family-friendly event will feature live music, local vendors, food from the Lakewood kitchen, and lots of craft beer, including a special American barley wine called Lion’s Share XIV brewed just for the occasion. Guests can also sample a selection of anniversary beers from years past. The agenda also includes beer poking, a centuries-old technique that uses a heated brewing poker to caramelize sugars in the beer. Don’t miss vendors T-Rex Pickles and Married to Sugar who’ll bring specialty creations made using Lakewood beers. The party will run from 12-7 pm.

Monday, August 31

Mixology Mondays at The Parlor
The speakeasy-inspired lounge inside Sheraton Dallas will launch Mixology Mondays, an opportunity to learn the art of cocktail-making with a different signature drink featured each week. Participants will get to shake up classics like the Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, Sidecar, and Old Fashioned during the hour-long experience. Class is $30 (includes free parking) and begins at 5 pm.

food events